For Sale: Hollowed Out Robot

"Hollowed Out Robot" - 5" x 7" - $10

I never got around to selling this guy somehow. I'd like to sell it off cheap, a little bit of spring cleaning! BUY IT!

Today's T-shirt - Comadre

I've still never seen Comadre live; I mail-ordered this shirt as a thank you for the free music they have put up online. Somehow, whenever they play, I'm busy. Probably because I'm a dad. While I've never seen them, I have seen their earlier bands, Anti-45 and HeartCrossLove.
I really like the weird pig illustration on the front, and the "Swine Flue Was An Inside Job" bit, which sounds totally conspiracy theory-ish, and I get asked about it nearly every time I wear it. At least I didn't order this shirt. I'd be fighting with rednecks and republicans every time I put it on.

100 DINOSAURS - CLUES #44 & #45

 

 

These were the clues I drew for recent dinohunts. I think the first two I've posted over there, but the last one, with the tyrannosaurus rex eating the Keith Haring man hasn't been posted before. I never really understood the big deal about Keith Haring's art until I watched a documentary about him recently.

Today's T-Shirt - 5733 Lee Harvey Oswald Assasination

I've always been pretty intrigued by the whole JFK assassination. In high school, I really wanted to have a band called "Frame 313" (I'm definitely not alone in this, as a quick google search brings up several different bands). When I went to Dallas on tour, and realized I was only a few miles from the Grassy Knoll, I took a walk down there to check it out before the show. I even pulled up a few pieces of grass to tape into my journal.
I almost ordered this shirt years ago from the fiftyseven-thirtythree online store, but they were out of my size at the time. This was also at a time when I was trying to get more color into my wardrobe, since I have a plethora of black t-shirts. Then, a few years later, I wound up being placed right next to their booth at the SF Zine Fest. I shared with them that I had been fan of that shirt, and the next day they brought me the last one! It's a little bit of a funky fit, and my wife hates it, so I barely ever wear it.

Happy 1st Birthday Kaiden!

I was sent these photos a while back so that I could see how the poster I did for Kaiden's first birthday turned out. It's fun to see everyone's well-wishes written all over this. Hopefully this is something that Kaiden will enjoy looking at for years to come.

Looks like someone had an awesome first birthday! Happy birthday lil guy!

Today's T-Shirt - Night Watch

(I'm doing this because Dani is doing this: wear a different t-shirt every day until I run out.)

I was given this shirt outside a show I played in Philadelphia at the Theater of the Living Arts. Some poor kid was working promoting the release of Night Watch on dvd by handing these out. I had to agree to have my picture taken with it, and I had a clean shirt to put on after the show! The main thing I really like about this shirt is that it is printed on a cheap brand of shirt that is really thin, and dried out easily after shows (I sweat a lot onstage).

I Love Scolari's Good Eats

Scolaris - 6" x 12" - NFS

If you come to visit me or my family, chances are 9 times out of 10 if we go out to eat, we are going to Scolari's. It's a small spot nearby with a killer menu, and the genius of it is that even though they have limited seating, they are partnered with the bar next door, so you can have your food brought to you over there! I usually get the special burger of the day. I've ordered things besides the burger before, and its always good, but it always leaves me wishing I had gotten a burger. I decided over Christmas break that I wanted to paint something for the owner, since not only has he's been busy with his new business, and he is also a new father of twins! Basically, he never sleeps. I felt like he needed to know his hard work was being appreciated by a random patron.

Today's T-Shirt - Yaphet Kotto

(I'm doing this because Dani is doing this: wear a different t-shirt every day until I run out.)

I randomly saw Yaphet Kotto at 924 Gilman when I went to see a friend's band play. I was watching the drummer set up, and he pulled out the hugest cymbal I'd ever seen and put it on the crash stand. Then he moved it to the ride stand, and put an even BIGGER cymbal onto the crash stand. They then proceeded to blow my mind.
I bought this shirt off of Brian, who I use to print shirts to this day. DESA was getting ready to leave for a UK tour, and we had made the decision to wear only red and black on stage (as a nod to our record "Year In A Red Room"). I liked the design on the black shirt better, but I needed another red shirt. I also took a pair of red paints (that barely fit) on that tour.

For Sale - "Where the Robots & Dinosaurs Are"

"Where the Robots & Dinosaurs Are" - 12" x 6" - $50

I painted this a while ago. I thought it was a fun twist on a childhood favorite. This was painted at the same time as my Three Little Pigs painting. What can I say, I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

Music Monday - The Pillowfights / Final Round

(click to download)

In the last two years my band Gnarboots has played at least a dozen shows with the Pillowfights, or maybe it just seems that way since there singer Dani is literally at every show ever. They played their final show December 17th, along with the Albert Square, who were also playing their last show. Gnarboots was asked to play (mainly because of this song, I think) but we unfortunately could not make it. I had a similar image to the one above in my head for a flyer, but someone made a flyer before I could. I noticed that there was no album cover for this release, so I hope they will accept this at their official album art.

Today's T-shirt - Brilliant Red Lights

(I'm doing this because Dani is doing this: wear a different t-shirt every day until I run out.)

I stole this shirt out of the Brilliant Red Lights merch bin when we were sharing a practice space in East Oakland. I was sometimes practicing with their other band, Compassion in Action, at the time. I think I have wore this shirt about 3 times total. The amount of ink on the front makes it a little uncomfortable to wear.

Sock Drawer Robot

I found this drawing in my sock drawer yesterday. I have no idea how it got, among the old wallets, keychains, pocket knives and other brick-a-brack. My only guess is that past-me wanted to surprise present-me with a funny little robot drawing.

I scanned him and colored him in just for the heck of it:

Today's T-shirt - Three Mile Pilot

When you play in a band, and like music a lot, you wind up with a ton of shirts. My friend Dani is going to wear a different t-shirt every day until she runs out of t-shirts. I have a stupid amount of t-shirts (I even got rid of a bunch of shirts I had stuffed into a bean bag chair years ago to try to revive it) and since I'm now working from home, I wear t-shirts every day. I'm going to do the same exercise in ridiculousness... it'll at least keep me posting something new on here daily! 
Today, I put on my Three Mile Pilot shirt. I got it at their San Jose show three years ago, right before their new album came out. I was really stoked to see them, since I didn't get into them until years after they had broken up. Their album "Another Desert, Another Sea" has been in constant rotation since I picked it up in 2001. I like that the design is really simple, and that it's not a black t-shirt.

I have so many black t-shirts.

Music Monday - The Weeknd / Echoes of Silence

(click to download)

For Sale - "You OK?"

"You OK?" - 10" x 10" - $35

I Drew This: Buffalo (x7)

 BuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffalo are a female-fronted pop-punk band from Santa Cruz. My friend Elijah is the drummer, my friend Casey is the singer, my friend Alec is the guitarist... and even though I have seen them play twice, I've never met the bassist, because Adam filled in, both times! 

Elijah asked me to draw some art for his new band, and I sort of shrugged it off because homeboy is in a ton of bands. Then I heard them, and thought they were good, and I really like ridiculous band names.

SOLD - "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Are you sure this is the right way?" - 10" x 10" -  $50 (SOLD)

Music Monday - The Caps / Live in the Windowless Room

(click to download)

Every time I listen to these dudes, I remember why I started playing music: to play whatever loud-ass music I want with my friends. These guys (all of whom are still teenagers) are super fun to watch live, and I would go to one of their shows than all of the crap bands that pack 21+ bars here in the bay.

All Ages 4 Life.

H.E.L.P!

Do you like punk rock?

Do you like robots?
Do you like my paintings?

Do you like babies? Specifically, my baby?

Do you have some extra cash that your grandma sent you for the holidays?

Check out the video below, and see if this something you would be interested in!

Destroy Nate Allen Kickstarter! Click to Donate!!

Music Monday - 100% / EP2

(click to download)

Happy 2012. Here's some new jams from 100% to start your year off right. I drew a logo for them a while ago, hopefully they'll make a sticker or a shirt out of it someday:

Three Little Pigs - SOLD

"Three Little Pigs" - 12" x 6" - SOLD

Commission: Velociraptor reading a book!

(I didn't used to sketch out my paintings. I've found that it makes the actual painting go a lot faster.)

(Snapped a quick photo before handing it off! paint)

This was a really quick commission I completed for my friend Jake in time for him to give it as a Christmas present for his girlfriend. I did this commission as a trade for some guitar effects pedals. If you're looking to have me do some commission work but you are short on cash, remember, we can always work out a trade!

He wanted a painting of a Velociraptor, which is his girlfriend's favorite dinosaur, reading a book. I got a little worried: Did I know my wife's favorite dinosaur? (It's the Brontosaurus, I guessed correctly).

What's your favorite dinosaur, and what would you like to see it doing? Leave me a comment, and I will draw the one I like the best!

I Drew This: Bobby Joe Ebola / Tornado Rider / Emily's Army Poster

I drew this up for a string of shows that Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children Macnuggits are playing with Tornado Rider and Emily's Army. I bet you didn't know this, but dinosaurs love ice cream.

Why I like Twitter

I used to be really opposed to Twitter. I didn't see the point of blurting out every stupid idea that popped into my head. However, I've changed my tune in the last couple of months. First off, its a great way to figure out where all the rad food trucks in the bay area are posted up at any given time. Second, it's pretty rad to be able to drop a line to one of your favorite musicians. Lastly, it comes in handy when you forget to document art that you just sold!
I posted this tweet during the Alameda Holiday Fair:

A couple of days later, I received an email from the nice person who bought the paintings! Along with some picture of the paintings:

As it turns out, they also won the painting that I had entered into the raffle, "Extra Parts?!"

Looks like it found a good home!

Twitter is also a good way to find out when I am going to post new clues for the dinosaur painting scavenger hunt I've been doing. If you don't already follow me over there, or if you were like me and didn't see the point of Twitter, maybe now you could give it a second chance.

Music Monday - Freddy Ruppert / Sickling EP

(click to download)

This is what I will be listening to this week while I draw. These are instrumental recordings by Freddy Ruppert, of This Song Is A Mess But So Am I and Former Ghosts. I grew up listening to a lot of the same electronic/industrial music that influenced these songs, so while being brand new songs to me, they wind up also being nostalgic.